Sorotec REVO II 5,5Kw

[MAS]

Dear members,

For those who installed and running the Sorotec REVO II 5,5Kw, i would appreciate your feedback on the noise level (dB) of the machine.
Is it noisy? or is it only noisy when the fans are running (if so, how often do the fans run?)
If you can also post a video with sounds of a running machine, that would be great.

thanks
M

 

[Berseker]

I HAVE THE 3.2KW AND THE 5.5KW...THE FANS OF THE 5.5kw run more frequently..with or without any significant load..
i also noticed a huge disparity from battery load/dc and house load/ac. the fans run noisier when you have a big load running say above 700w

example..the battery load will be showing -345w, while the house load may be showing 856w...meanwhile i only have a 300w load running.

 

[Frank in Thailand]

If it helps, I made a post about how to make them silent.

I am at my phone now, hard to copy-paste the link.

They are now silent, even at 9000 watt processing.
(4500 solar 4500 inverter or so)
My laptop makes more noise ?

It did take some mods and 4 120mm high quality (and somewhat pricey) liquid baring fans.
Don't worry, the fans will last 30 years at full speed.
And they aren't running at full speed

Probably search on my name / posts, or Revo II or Silent wings 3 to find this thread.

good luck

 

[ssilk]

I've had one for about a week. No solar panels attached, just utility and battery. So it's a glorified UPS to get me through load shedding periods in Zambia. I have it installed in the corner of my living because that's where the breaker panel is. I find it very noisy.

Specifically, whenever the utility power is on, the fans are always running low-medium duty cycle, even if the battery is fully charged and the load is low, like under 100W. At that speed, it sounds a bit like a microwave running in the corner of the living room, and that's the state it's in about 80% of the time. I know the fans are not at their lowest speed because when the utility load sheds, and I'm running off battery, it gets way quieter. I don't know what about having the utility power on and being patched through to the load makes it heat up enough to spin the fans up way more, if the load is the same.

When it's actually charging, it's even louder, more like a hairdryer or vacuum.

Note: the product descriptions I've read online describe an "Anti-Dust Kit" that can be installed, and the fact that the inverter will automatically detect this and "activate internal thermal sensor to adjust internal temperature" which I'm reading as "will run fans more or faster". However, the manual with the unit received makes no mention of a dust kit, it just has a picture of the filters on the air intakes that says dust filter or something like that. My house is not dusty so I'm thinking of taking those off or at least vacuuming them to see if that helps.

Hope this helps.

 

[Frank in Thailand]

I've had one for about a week. No solar panels attached, just utility and battery. So it's a glorified UPS to get me through load shedding periods in Zambia. I have it installed in the corner of my living because that's where the breaker panel is. I find it very noisy.

Specifically, whenever the utility power is on, the fans are always running low-medium duty cycle, even if the battery is fully charged and the load is low, like under 100W. At that speed, it sounds a bit like a microwave running in the corner of the living room, and that's the state it's in about 80% of the time. I know the fans are not at their lowest speed because when the utility load sheds, and I'm running off battery, it gets way quieter. I don't know what about having the utility power on and being patched through to the load makes it heat up enough to spin the fans up way more, if the load is the same.

When it's actually charging, it's even louder, more like a hairdryer or vacuum.

Note: the product descriptions I've read online describe an "Anti-Dust Kit" that can be installed, and the fact that the inverter will automatically detect this and "activate internal thermal sensor to adjust internal temperature" which I'm reading as "will run fans more or faster". However, the manual with the unit received makes no mention of a dust kit, it just has a picture of the filters on the air intakes that says dust filter or something like that. My house is not dusty so I'm thinking of taking those off or at least vacuuming them to see if that helps.

Hope this helps.

I have had the same problem you are facing.

Suffice to say that from thermal management point of view there are a lot of possible improvements to be made in the design.

That is not only the Revo, bit most hybrid inverter.

For starters, why fight nature?
Hot air wants to go up, why suck it down?

Next thing, restrictive flow..
If it wasn't bad enough to choke the fresh cool air in with too small area and restrictive filter + cover.


One thing is good. Ducting.



But... There is a huge obstruction in the airflow.
Would not be bad if that is the item that need to be cooled, bit it isn't...

The MPPT is.


This huge heatsink is hidden behind the transformer, with the airflow coming from above...



So after restricted air intake, some of the parts that need majority of cooling are tugged behind...

And... If that isn't bad enough
The 2 struggling fans


Are restricted with the air flow out!!


The fans are high quality fans, Sorotec didn't cut budget on that.


Double Ball bearing, good Static pressure to overcome all the restrictions thrown at it. And relative energy efficient.

It's important to understand how and why this Revo (and most hybrid) are noisy as hell.

As we finish with the why, next question is:
How to solve this problem?

Due to restrictions on the forum, next post

 

[Frank in Thailand]

Next post:

To tackle we need to fix what we can.
Starting with the restricted airflow.

When you remove the top cover plate


There is a second metal plate.


This already gives a larger space to receive fresh, less restricted airflow.
And gives an opertunity for hot air to escape.

That's a quick and easy fix.

Next step obviously is not to place the cover plate at the bottom.


Remove the filter and cover plates on the side.


Last more or less "easy fix" is to replace the fans.

First thing to know is that you need 4 pin pwm fan, 12v.
Second thing is that Sorotec used their own pin layout... You can not use the standard 4 pin connector but need to change 2 wires.



Tach and 12v different place ??

If you want to change the fans, because even after opening everything up to make it more silent/ less noisy...
You no longer need hearing protection, but it absolutely isn't silent.

I've done extensive research on fans.
In a nutshell the silent ones usually don't generate enough Static pressure or enough M3 airflow.

My best advice is "silent wings 3".
Even at high speed they are quiet.
Not silent, but so much better.

If you want to make it really silent..
You need to cut some iron and reverse the airflow.

I opened the second top sheet.


Took out the 2 fans at the bottom.
Closed the air inlets at the side.
And made 2 ducts.

The one at the bottom blows fresh air inside, the duct at the top sucking it out.
Push-pull configuration.
4 x silent wings 3, 120mm, high speed.

This is what it looks like:


In the past I have lost a few inverters.
Amazing quality, except crap Thermal management. Fans didn't start under 500 watt draw.. causing it to slowly heat up and fry internal at the hotspots.

As a result I don't completely thrust Thermal management from China.
Loosing $2400 might have something to do with that

The top fans are Controlled by the Revo.
The bottom fans are always on top speed.
I used to have some china controller in between...
-China... Didn't last that long ?
Doesn't matter much.
At high speed (2500rpm) under 35db, and 2.5 watt...
Normal speed (1500rpm) under 17 db and 1.5 watt.
Lifetime about 30 years at full speed.
I don't know if it will make this, but liquid bearing...
I have a noctua fan, spinning since 2008 and as silent as the day I bought it.
Sadly crappy Static pressure, I've tried them... Good for unrestricted airflow.
That was rated 100.000h MTBF, silent wings are 300.000.....


At full speed a slight humming sound, nothing bad. Split Aircon indoor unit makes more noise with air circulation.
(New Daikin 9000BTU unit)

Obviously, you will void warranty when you start cutting metal.

Your environment needs to be suitable.
That is a closed space where no animals can enter the inverter. No children can sick their fingers in a fan, or spill drinks inside the unit...

Thailand is HOT from time to time, and the room with the inverters is regularly above 35c, sometimes above 45c if I forget to turn on the air-conditioning.

I need this strong airflow, high pressure and for piece of mind a double setup for the fans.

Replace the 80mm with 2 silent wings,
Open the top and make a simple duct for 2 120mm to blow into the Revo probably already will solve your problem.

There are splitters for fans, so easy enough to connect 4.
Energy draw will be lower then original, also not a problem.

And how simple a duct can be?

 

[Frank in Thailand]

Carton and duct tape to seal the gaps..
(I ran out of fancy foam material)



My 3 units side by side.



Battery, solar, AC, all have their own breaker.

I noticed that the Revo specs are 5500watt for solar, reality it doesn't pass 4400 watt. (Even when 8500 watt is offered) usually peaks at 4200 watt.

Still not bad, but with 3 sections of solar, i needed to redo the whole thing to match the max specs.
(I had 5850, 5520 and 2925 (faced to the evening sun, to catch most of that)

Now its 4500 on all 3.
(And no more facing evening sun, as that performance was crap)

Anyways...
I hope it helps.

The units used to be about 5 meters from our bed, in the same room.
What made it impossible to sleep....
After mod... Not a problem ?

We changed our bedroom anyways, mostly because it became more like a tinkering man cave, that didn't make my wife happy ???